Supporting Families in Mental Illness
Manawatu Supporting Families (formally known as Schizophrenia Fellowship) has grown from a group of parents who met for support during the 1980s to what it is today: a publicly recognised, voluntary agency that provides information, education, support and advocacy for families/whanau affected by mental illness within the MidCentral DHB Region.
We all know that people do not experience mental illness in isolation. We know that when a person becomes unwell because of a mental illness that many other people are also affected such as family, friends, workmates, neighbours and others.
The care provided by mental health professionals is often not enough on its own, but by working together with consumers and their family/whanau there are improved outcomes for all. Family interventions teach families/whanau skills to support their family member towards recovery and provide vital information about early intervention, possibly preventing relapse.
Since 1980, at least 22 studies of long-term, cognitive-behavioural family interventions integrated with optimal drug and case management have shown substantial additional benefits for people with schizophrenia and other disorders.
Governance
Manawatu SF is governed by a combination of carers, consumers and people working in health or social services.
Manawatu Services
Manawatu SF provides education sessions that support and help families to develop skills so that they can understand and cope with the life-long challenges of having a loved one who has a mental illness.
Family support
Supporting families one to one or with small family groups. Families enjoy support through coffee and chat afternoons, pot luck dinners and other social events. Each year we provide a carers retreat. This is a weekend where our staff organise the venue, transport and food so that carers can get away and not worry about anything.
Information
Providing information about mental illness. There is an extensive library available for members to use.
Advocacy
Helping families access the right services for their family member.
Palmerston North
Ph: 06 355 8561
Levin
Ph: 06 368 6116
Dannevirke
Ph: 06 374 8797
Coming up
in February
* Sunflower Award Nominations
* Robert Miller Visit
* Family/Whanau Activities
* Consumer Activities
Out of
the shadows
into the sun
